Sad-iron.



'No. 690,972. Patented Jan. l4, I902.

A. LUETHI. 1

SAD 1mm.

(Afiplication filed Nov. 2, 1900.

(N0 Model.)

TATES Unrrnn PATENT trio.

SAD-ARON] SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 690,972, dated January 14, 1902. Application filed November 2, 1900. Serial No. 35,194. (No model.)

To wZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER LUETHI, of Lakemills,in the countyzof Jefferson and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sad-Irons, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in sad-irons, particularly to that class of sadirons in which the handle portion is removable.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a sad-iron wherein an improved form of catch is employed which makes a positive and strong lock and which shall effect a positive lockingengagement notwithstanding any wear the parts may be subjected to through constant use, the construction also being such that the iron is adapted for use in tailoring establishments, laundries, and other places where severe work is necessary and equally adapted for light work in household laundering.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is.

a side elevation of the iron,parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan View, the upwardlyextending legs being in section; and Fig. 3 is an end view.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 4 indicates the body of the iron, which is provided in its top with a longitudinal mortise 5, having flaring sides and of a gradually-decreasing Width toward the front end of the body. In the bottom of this mortise and about centrally thereof is a depression 6, the rear bordering end wall 7 of said depression being on a gradual incline toward the rear end of the iron, as clearly shown.

The removable handle portion of the iron consists of a base 8, upwardly-extending legs 9 9, and a handpiece 10, secured to the upper ends of said arms and preferably of wood or some other material which is a poor conductor of heat.

The base 8 is provided about centrally with a slot 11, the metal bordering the rear end of said slot being on a rearward incline. The slot is intersected by a transverse pin 12, and on this pin is pivoted a gravity-catch 13. This catch is composed of an upper horizontal or approximately horizontal arm and a lower rearWardly-inclined arm, forming practically a bell-crank lever. The pivotal point of the catch is at the angle of these two arms, and said arms therefore extend in the same direction or rearwardly from the pivotal point, so that the weight is all on one side of the pivot. The upper arm is advisably provided. with a knob or. finger-piece 14 for convenience in operating the catch.

It will be noticed that the sides of the base 8 of the handle portion are tapering or gradually converged toward each other and are also flaring, so as to adapt said base to fit the correspondingly-shaped mortise 5 inthe top of the body of the iron. The under side of the base is provided with a longitudinal channel 15, said channel having closed sides throughout, but provided with open ends. The said channel at the narrow end of the base communicates with a half-circular vertical recess 16, said half-circular recess registering with a similar recess 17 in the forward end bordering-wall of the mortise 5. These two registering half-circular recesses 16 and 17 communicate with the external atmosphere, so that when the handle is properly adjusted to the body of the iron a passage is provided extending longitudinally throughout the length and beneath the base 8 and open at both ends to the external air.

In adjusting the handle portion to the body of the iron the narrow end of the base is first inserted in the mortise 5 and said base slid along until the lower arm of the catch 13 drops into the depression 6, the extremity of said arm bearing against the inclined wall 7, and

thereby locking the handle portion firmly in position. With constant use of the device the sides of the mortise 5 and the sides of the base 8 or the narrow end of said base will become worn, so that there is a tendency for the base from time to time, as the wear becomes greater, to be forced farther and farther inwardly in the mortise, and hence prevent the catch from making firm engagement. The provision of the inclined wall 7, in connection with the particular form of catch herein shown, however, prevents this tendency, owing to the fact that the upper end of said inclined wall is a greater distance than the lower end thereof from the center of the are described by the lower arm of the catch, and therefore when the base 8 is thus forced farther inwardly the end of the lower arm of the catch will still bear against this inclined wall, and hence firm engagement effected notwithstanding.

The flaring and tapering sides of the mortise 5 and the registering flaring and tapering sides of the base 8 form a wedging engagement, and thereby assist the catch in performing its function of holding the parts together. In order to release the handle portion from the body of the iron, all that is necessary to be done is simply to pull upwardly on the knob 14, and this will raise the end of the lower arm of the catch out of engagement with the inclined end wall 7 of the depression, and hence permit the base 8 tobe readily pulled out of the mortise.

When the handle portion is adjusted to the body portion of the iron in the manner explained, some of the heat of the body portion is of course transferred to the handle portion, and this heating of the handle-section might cause the base thereof to expand to such an extent that a very tight fit of the parts would result. It is for this reason that I employ the channel 15, which provides for circulation of cool air immediately below the base, and hence keeps said base at such a temperature that extensive expansion thereof is obviated.

It frequently happens that where the operator grasps the handpiece 10 a portion of his hand will extend over onto the upper ends of the metallic legs 9, and as these legs sometimes become heated considerable discomfort is experienced. To guard against this, I prefer to form the upper ends of these legs with inclined shoulders 18, and the ends of the handpiece are provided with projecting tongues 19 19, which fit between the said shoulders.

WVhat I claim as my invention is- In a sad-iron, the combination of the body of the iron, said body provided upon its upper surface with a longitudinal mortise, the

bottom of said mortise provided with a depression, and the rear end wall of said depression being inclined, a handle portion having a base adapted to fit in the mortise, said base provided with a slot therethrough, and a catch consisting of a bell-crank lever pivoted in the slot, the arms of said bell-crank lever extending rearwardly from the pivot so that the weight is all on one side of the pivot, and thelower arm of the bell-crank lever extending below the base and at an incline so as to adapt its end to engage the inclined Wall of the depression, the inclination of the inclined Wall of the depression being such that the upper end of said inclined wall is a greater distance than the lower end thereof from the center of the are described by the lower arm of the bell-crank lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER LUETI-II.

YVitnesses: 1

A. L. MORSELL, ANNA V. FAUsT. 

